Inspiration

Inspiration is an abstract concept or idea. It has spiritual connotations as well as practical connotations. It is some person, event, or thing that can inspire the mind, emotions, and/or the body to a higher level of feelings or activity.

This is your space to share what inspires you. It could be a movie, book, a person, a special place or whatever else has made a possitive difference in your life.

Comments

I cannot beleve that we missed the whole season 2 of the TV series for Homeland. Luckily, we have Shaw on demand so we can go back and watch the previous episodes. That is a lot of TV watching! But this is the BEST TV show. I would never want to miss it!

I like it when people are so enthusiastic about a TV series! I will check out the top 10 and then check out the series. I like it when there's a good show on and esp when there are back episodes fill the need for more when I like it. Thanks for the tip.

‘The artist of the future will understand that to compose a fairy tale, a little song which will touch, a lullaby or a riddle which will entertain, a jest which will amuse, or to draw a sketch such as will delight dozens of generations or millions of children and adults, is incomparably more important and more fruitful than to compose a novel, or a symphony, or paint a picture, of the kind which diverts some members of the wealthy classes for a short time and is then for ever forgotten. The region of this art of the simplest feelings accessible to all is enormous, and it is as yet almost untouched”.

During this period of history, most people are aware of the Holocaust, the concentration camps, Hitler, his Reich and notorious generals including Goring and Himmler. Many peoople, however, are unaware of or simply ignorant about how it affected the many facets of people and institutions. So, Spandau Phoenix is more of a thriller to me. The book also serves as historical material for World War II.

One of a few favorite writers of mine, namely; Greg Iles has never let me down. Again, He proves to be a veritable master who knows how to grip readers’ attention not by frivolous laid-out but solid writing skills. Yet his plotting appears intricate with so many open-ended clues weaved into the turbid complicated historical background. Readers need to maintain a clear mind to follow the pace of the story development while sorting out the tangled relations, especially considering the numbers of parties who were politically and/or personally involved. What is found compounded but fascinating also lies in its smooth narrating warped between time and space back and forth with the dazzlingly shuttling of historical events. Greg is so good at depicting a wide range of distinct characters of diverse racial and political sources with his concise yet rich languages, each and every one live and vivid.

Generally, the novel is presented in a way so intense and photogenic that you feel like you were watching an epic movie played by a whole cast of experienced super actors. While rendering all these characters with flesh and soul, Hess, Johann, Hans, Iles, Joannson, Swallow, Schneider, etc., good or bad; however, Greg doesn’t instill them with his own judgment but plain insightful thoughts catering to each. He simply stages them all in his novel, leaving sufficient room to provoke readers to probe further. For me, truly, looking back to that period of history, despite the inhumane cruelty against humanity, all scarified for the best interests of one’s mother country shall be deemed patriotism.

Compared to the whole plotting, the ending, if any flaws, seems a bit hasty, making its ultimate climax lack more boost and meticulousness. With all of the clashes colliding together, the target was easily broken into and the pervious fatally contradictory relation among pivotal roles appear unconvincingly soothed away.